The Town Built on Sorrow

Gr 9 Up—As a serial killer runs rampant in the mountain foothills town of Hawthorn, 16-year-old Harper Spurling grows more and more fascinated by the diary of Sofie Helle, a local pioneer girl from the 1860s. Meanwhile, Olav Helle, a classmate of Harper's, uncovers a skull in the woods, from which he starts receiving disturbing telepathic messages. In alternating chapters, readers follow Harper and Olav as they interact with their families and each other, as well as the experiences of Sofie Helle as the town of Hawthorn is settled. As Olav's relationship with the skull grows more intense, so does Harper's interest in Sofie, with whom she feels a connection. Grim and at times disturbing, the heavy subject matter is pleasantly leavened by the smart and interesting Harper, whose interactions with her family, including her hilarious and spunky 80-year-old grandmother, add an authentic and relatable angle. Oppegaard weaves together three stories that are very different in tone and substance but make for a unique reading experience that feels fresh, entertaining and more than a little creepy. Give this to teens who enjoyed Libba Bray's "The Diviners" and Maureen Johnson's "Shades of London" series.